I switched my route to the lakes region from rt93 to rt3 because of all the construction on rt93. Hopefully rt93 is all done by the time the construction on rt3 is started. I will have to switch back to rt93.

The FEET is like a tube of toothpaste. It was widened in Nashua and started to get clogged north of Exit 10. Why do they think the same thing won't happen when they eventually get to Manchester and I-293 is still only two lanes in each direction? Improvements around Exit 5 in Manchester still have big back ups. When you get to Concord, also recently improved, traffic routinely backs up around Exit 12-Exit 15, both directions. They also want to spend $17 MM (?) to move and upgrade the (recently improved) toll plaza in Bedford. It's nice that they want to make improvements, but there really doesn't seem to be a REAL long term plan.

I think there are a few reasons it stacks up in those general areas on Rte 3N. First issue is no one knows how to merge. Whether it's lack of skill or drivers feeling the need to prove a point, I can't tell you how many times I've been through Merrimack and saw how much easier traffic would flow if folks could either pay attention or cooperate a little better within the merge sections from 3 to 2 lanes.

Second issue in my mind is the section just after the tolls in Merrimack. That righthand exit getting onto 293 should have been its own exit lane. Instead, everyone stacks up leaving the tolls due to 5 lanes of traffic all merging (3 from the tolls and 2 from the onramp next to the tolls) while the right lane ends up being a travel lane at the same time drivers are slowing for the exit to 293.

Something can be done to smooth many areas out however I'm not exactly confident in what the outcome will be. I agree completely...whomever is in the planning room is not thinking long term.

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Poor Richard:
The FEET starts at the state line and ends at Exit 14 in Concord as I recall. In Nashua, the FEET an d US Rt. 3 are the same. In Merrimack US Rt 3 is the Daniel Webster Highway. New comers refer to this as "old Rt 3" in Merrimack, but it is really just Rt 3. The same thing happens all the way along I-293, I-93 as you continue your journey.

Poor Richard:
The FEET starts at the state line and ends at Exit 14 in Concord as I recall. In Nashua, the FEET an d US Rt. 3 are the same. In Merrimack US Rt 3 is the Daniel Webster Highway. New comers refer to this as "old Rt 3" in Merrimack, but it is really just Rt 3. The same thing happens all the way along I-293, I-93 as you continue your journey.

Poor Richard:
The FEET starts at the state line and ends at Exit 14 in Concord as I recall. In Nashua, the FEET an d US Rt. 3 are the same. In Merrimack US Rt 3 is the Daniel Webster Highway. New comers refer to this as "old Rt 3" in Merrimack, but it is really just Rt 3. The same thing happens all the way along I-293, I-93 as you continue your journey.

The F E Everett Turnpike does indeed start at the State line with MA and is also numbered US Rte 3. However, at exit 7, the FEET continues northbound known only as the FEET all the way to Concord, while US Rte 3 exits the turnpike at exit 7E. Rte 3 then roughly parallels the Turnpike to Manchester. He is a good description of the FEET, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Much of the turnpike's length has been overlapped by other numbered routes. Portions of the road are shared with US-3, I-93, and I-293. The southern portion of the turnpike, in Nashua, is posted as US-3, serving as an extension of the US-3 freeway (Northwest Expressway) from Burlington, Massachusetts. North of Exit 7 in Nashua, the turnpike runs by itself and has no number, but parallels US-3, which is a toll-free local road variously known as Concord Street (within the city of Nashua) and the Daniel Webster Highway (within Merrimack and Bedford). Approaching Bedford in the Manchester area, the turnpike is joined by I-293 which splits off from a concurrency with NH-101. At Exit 4 (exits are numbered for I-293 on this stretch), NH-3A joins the freeway, and the concurrency passes through Manchester, near the downtown area of the city. Upon passing Manchester, Route 3A splits off at Exit 7, I-293's last northbound exit. The freeway passes into Hooksett, and I-293 ends at an interchange with I-93. The Everett Turnpike ceases to be signed at this interchange, but joins I-93 northbound and continues towards Concord, interchanging with the southern terminus of I-89 along the way. No definitive northern terminus for the turnpike exists as far as signage is concerned. This endpoint was originally at a traffic circle next to downtown Concord that has since been replaced by Exit 14 with NH-9.

(In Manchester, rte 3 is Elm St in the downtown, continues into Hooksett where rte 28 joins it to Allentown where 28 cuts off northbound to Alton, and rte 3 continues to Concord. )